More Than She Can Chew
by Harliquinn
Summary: A teenager ends up in protective custody and learns the hard way what happens when someone bites off more than she can chew. WARNING: Will contain disciplinary spanking. Rated T out of an abundance of caution and the use of foul language.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** A teenager ends up in protective custody and learns the hard way what happens when someone bites off more than she can chew. Chapter 1 has been revised and re-posted. WARNING: Will contain disciplinary spanking. Rated M out of an abundance of caution and the use of foul language.

**Author's Note:** The idea for this story came to me as I was watching a NCIS marathon on the USA Network. I normally don't read or write in first person, so I really hope this works as well on the computer screen as it did in my head.

This chapter has been revised to flesh it out a bit and to correct all of my typos. I have to admit, I'm a bit embarrassed at the quality of what I originally posted.

I appreciate all of your comments and have decided to continue this story. I hope to have the next chapter posted soon.

**MORE THAN SHE CAN CHEW**

_Yeah, that went well. _I paced the confines of the interrogation room, already regretting my escape attempt. The back of my neck was prickling, warning me that someone was watching me from the other side of the mirrored wall. I was pretty sure I knew who it was. Turning to face the wall, I stared hard at the mirror and, with my middle finger, told him exactly what I thought of his surveillance. I don't wait well, especially when I don't have anything with which to occupy myself, and it was making me restless. Restless doesn't look good on me.

"Come on, you son of a bitch. I know you're in there." I approached the mirror and slapped it hard. The sound resonating through the small room only slightly satisfied my urge to throw a temper tantrum.

I suppose I should introduce myself and explain how it is I came to be in this room. My name is Victoria Neal, but I will only answer to Tori. I'm here because I am in the protective custody of NCIS. My self-appointed guardian, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and I disagree over what exactly that means. I think I should be allowed to come and go as I please. After all, I didn't do anything wrong, and I certainly didn't ask to be here. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnessed something I shouldn't. Special Agent Hard Ass thinks I should stay where he put me so I'll be safe from the bad guys who were probably looking for me. I'd be willing to bet you'll agree with him once you hear my story. But, let's just say I have issues with authority, and leave it at that.

Anyway, you are probably still wondering how I ended up here. I'd been crashing at an abandoned warehouse down by the docks for the last month or so. I had the bad luck to walk out of the warehouse and right into a nightmare.

xxxxxxxx

Gibbs studied the corpse lying in a pool of blood just inside an alley between two industrial warehouses in Arlington, Virginia. The man had been dressed in jeans and a plan t-shirt, which now sported a number of rips and tears. NCIS had been notified after local LEO's had found a military identification card on the body.

"Gunnery Sergeant Nathan Wilson," McGee replied from where he was crouched by the body as he studied the display on the portable fingerprint scanner he held. "Matches the name on the ID." He straightened. "He was assigned to the ammunition supply point at Quantico."

"Now what would a marine gunnery sergeant who hands out bullets for a living be doing at an industrial warehouse more than thirty miles away?" Tony asked as he took photographs of the crime scene.

"Well, I guess that's what we're here to find out, DiNozzo," Gibbs snapped as he crouched beside Medical Examiner, Donald Mallard, and took a long look at the body. "You got a time of death?"

Ducky withdrew the liver probe and examined its digital display. "My preliminary results indicate that our gunnery sergeant expired from a stab wound to the chest sometime between sixteen hundred hours and eighteen hundred hours yesterday. Cause of death appears to be multiple stab wounds to the torso." Ducky straightened and motioned for Jimmy Palmer to bring the body bag and gurney. "Of course, it goes without saying that I will be able to tell you more once I get him on my table."

Gibbs straightened as well, resisting the urge to moan at the stiffness in his knees. "Ziva, talk to the LEO's. See what they know. Then you and Tony canvas the neighborhood. Find out if anyone saw anything." He gestured to the security cameras located high on the wall at the mouth of the alley. "McGee, see what you can find out about that camera."

xxxxxxx

As I said earlier, I'd been crashing at the warehouse for about a month. There were about a dozen of us living there, and all of us were teenagers. I had a mattress and blanket in a secluded corner of the third floor that I shared with four other girls. All of my worldly possessions were in a backpack that never left my side. It wasn't the best living situation, but it was better than some places I'd crashed.

I hadn't spent more than a month or so in any one place since I'd left what passed for home. I was starting to feel itchy, so it was time to move on. But, I couldn't do that until I'd gotten enough money for a bus ticket. I wasn't above stealing when I needed to survive, but there were certain things I'd promised myself I'd never do to get by. Things weren't bad enough for me to go there yet. Besides, who would I steal from around here. Anyway, I'd landed a job the day before washing dishes at a diner nearby. I figured I'd work there for a week or so, then head out as far as the money I'd earned would take me.

I was on my way to work when I heard shouting and the sounds of a fight in a alley across the street. You would think I'd learned better by now, but I couldn't resist going to check out what was going on. Believe me, I wish I had just kept walking.

Taking up a position behind a trash dumpster I watched as two guys in the alley shouted and threw punches at each other. It wasn't anything I hadn't already seen a dozen times. I was about to leave when one man pulled a knife and stabbed the other man in the chest. I must have made a noise as he fell to the ground. My blood ran cold when the first man pulled the knife from the other guy's chest and turned to look in my direction. I took off running and prayed the whole way to the diner that he hadn't spotted me, especially since I had gotten a really good look at his face.

xxxxxxx

"Whatta you got?" Gibbs demanded as he strode into the squad room. He took a deep drink of his coffee and looked expectantly at his team.

"Boss, I've got this headache starting right behind my eye," Tony said as he rubbed his forehead above his left eye and tried to look pitiful. "Oh," he said after a moment's pause, "you mean about the case."

"Yeah, DiNozzo, what have you got on this case." Sometimes, Gibbs thought, he felt like the ringmaster at a three ring circus.

Ziva glared at Tony as she stood and moved to activate the plasma screen. "We may have found a witness." She nodded at McGee, who rose to join her. "I pulled the video footage from the surveillance camera. It shows two men going into the alley." He cued up the footage and, along with Gibbs and his fellow teammates, watched it play on the plasma. "Based on the clothing, one of the men appears to be Gunnery Sergeant Wilson. However, due to the angle of the camera we were not able to get a clear shot of the man with him. I've given the footage to Abby to see if she can do anything with it. But, we were able to get a good screen capture of a someone who may have witnessed what happened."

Tony moved to stand by McGee and took the plasma screen remove from his hand. He clicked the controller, and the screen was filled with the image of a frightened teenage girl. "Abby ran a facial recognition search and was able to identify her." Again, he clicked a button on the remote. The next image to fill the screen was a missing person's report. "Victoria Neal, age seventeen. She was reported missing from her foster parents' home just north of Cincinnati six months ago."

"I ran a background check on her, Boss," Tony continued. "This isn't the first time she's taken off. She has been in five foster homes in two years after going into the system when her mother was killed by a drunk driver. Apparently, there were no other living relatives who were willing to take the girl in, and her father was nowhere to be found."

"I talked to the local police. There is a group of homeless teens who have been crashing in a warehouse not far from the crime scene," Ziva turned to Gibbs as she picked up the narrative. "I faxed a copy of her photo to the police, and the officer I spoke with thought he recognized her as one of the kids staying there."

"Did you get the location of that warehouse?"

"I did," Ziva replied.

Gibbs nodded. "You're with me. Tony and McGee, keep digging. See if you can find a reason for Gunnery Sergeant Wilson being in that alley."

xxxxxxx

I finished my shift that afternoon and collected my pay. Charlie, my boss, had agreed to pay me in cash, and today was payday. Business had been slow, so I'd had plenty of time to think. It was time to move on.

I was leaving the warehouse on my way to the bus station when a dark blue sedan pulled up nearby. I watched as an older, gray-haired man and a dark-haired woman stepped out. I tried to blend back into the shadows of the warehouse, but they walked right to me.

"I'm Special Agent Gibbs, this is Special Agent David, NCIS" the gray-haired man stated as he flashed a badge and id at me. "Victoria Neal?"

I thought about lying and saying I had no idea who Victoria Neal was. However, something about the man told me he wouldn't buy it. I'd learned the hard way to read people at a glance, and Special Agent Gibbs impressed me as someone I didn't want to get on the wrong side of. "Yeah."

"We've got some questions we'd like to ask you," Special Agent David stated as she moved to my side.

"About what?" I was starting to get really nervous. The last thing I wanted was attention paid to me, especially by someone who had the ability to send me back to Cincinnati. There was a reason I'd left there, and I sure as hell didn't want to go back. I started looking around for a means of escape.

I must have given away my thoughts. Special Agent Gibbs stepped forward, blocking my path. "We know you witnessed the murder in that alley yesterday," he said as he gestured in the direction of the murder scene. "We want to know what you saw." He paused briefly. "It can go one of two ways. You cooperate and tell us what you saw, and I'll do my best to help you in any way I can. I'll also protect you from the murderers." He shrugged his shoulders, indicating he didn't particularly care which option she chose. "Or you can do it the hard way, which means I take you in as a material witness and turn you over to the juvenile authorities."

Well, no shit, of course I was worried about the murderer finding out I'd ratted on him. I'd watched enough television and movies to know what bad guys do to witnesses. Why do you think I'd been so intent on getting out of town before I was ready. I refused to meet his eyes, and started to edge away from him and Special Agent David.

"You run, and we'll just chase you," Special Agent David stated. She looked like she could care less about what I chose to do.

"You won't get away," Gibbs interrupted. "One of us will catch you, and all you're going to accomplish is make me mad," Special Agent Gibbs paused. "You don't have much of a choice in the matter." He stepped forward and gripped my upper arm. I tried to jerk my arm out of his grasp, but his hold only tightened. It didn't hurt, exactly, but he made sure I knew I wasn't getting away. "You're coming with us."

Call me chicken shit, but right now Special Agent Gibbs scared me more than the idea of the murderer did. If nothing else, it would get me out of the area. One of the lessons I'd learned early on in the foster system was to go with the flow. Make the person in charge think you're cooperating. That way, when they let their guard down, you're more likely to be able to do what you want. I'd go with them, pretend to be willing to give them what they wanted, and take off at the first opportunity.

Xxxxxxxx

A short while later, I found myself in a forensics lab being babysat by Special Agent Timothy McGee and Abby, the weirdest looking scientist I've ever seen. It certainly hadn't been what I'd expected.

Gibbs had sent me down here with McGee after we arrived back at NCIS Headquarters. We'd stopped in some kind of squad room, and one of the men working there had told Gibbs there was something he needed to see. The look the other guy gave Gibbs must have meant something, because the next thing I knew, Gibbs had ordered McGee to get me something to eat and take me down to the lab. I'd swear the old man could read my mind, because he also told McGee not to let me out of his sight.

McGee took me by the cafeteria, where he got me a sandwich and Coke, before bringing me down to the lab. He and Abby had set me up in a side office while they went to work on something. I studied the lab and watched the two of them at work as I ate. The sandwich wasn't all that good, but another lesson I'd learned was to eat whenever you could. You never knew when your next meal might come along. After I ate, I wondered around the small room until McGee and Abby were deep into whatever they were working on.

Seeing my chance, I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. Gibbs had tried to make me leave it with him, but I refused. My life was in that bag, and I wasn't about to let it out of my sight. "I'm going to the restroom," I called out as I walked across the room toward the door. They were so deeply engrossed in whatever it was they were doing that neither of them even looked up.

I didn't lie. I did stop in the restroom. After that, though, I found the nearest stairwell. I was a little surprised when the door opened easily. I'd half expected it to be secured. Anyway, I made my way up to the lobby level. Luck was certainly with me as the stairwell opened around the corner from a bank of elevators. I waited until a group of people exited one of the cars and moved to blend in with them. Nobody even blinked an eye when I walked straight out of the lobby. Once outside, I studied the directions I'd printed off the Internet. Don't look at me like that, they hadn't told me I couldn't use the computer. After following the signs to the entrance of the Navy Yard, I headed toward the nearest bus station. It was time for this girl to bounce.

xxxxxxx

"Where is she?" Abby turned at the sound of Gibbs's voice.

"Where's who?" She was momentarily confused. It took only seconds for the meaning of Gibbs's question to sink in. "Oh, she went to the restroom."

Gibbs frowned. "How long ago was that?" His gut was telling him that something was wrong, and he'd be willing to lay money that it involved Tori Neal.

"You know, Boss," McGee stated, looking up from his computer screen, "it was a while ago."

"Abby, go look in the restroom for her."

A few minutes passed before Abby came running back into the lab. "She's not there. I checked the break room down the hall, and she wasn't there either." She hated disappointing Gibbs. "It's my fault. I should have gone with her. You don't think she took off do you?"

"No, it's my fault," McGee interrupted. "I should have paid more attention to how she'd been gone. Do you want me to have the building searched."

Gibbs sighed. "It's both of your faults." He turned to McGee. "My guess is she's long gone. Put out a bolo for her. Any idea where she might have gone?" he asked no one in particular.

McGee and Abby stared at each other, not really knowing how to answer that question.

"Well?" Gibbs demanded, his temper starting to rise.

"She was using the computer in my office," Abby said as she moved quickly in that direction. "Maybe she left a trail." She plopped down in the chair and pulled up the Internet browser. After going through the browsing history, she looked up at Gibbs. "She searched for information on local bus stations. She pulled up the details for stations on K Street and 26th Street." She paused a moment before continuing. "Looks like she googled directions to the station on 26th Street."

Abby turned to look at Gibbs, the worry clear in her eyes. "Why would she do that, Gibbs?"

"She's a scared kid," Gibbs replied as he leaned over to drop a kiss on her cheek. "She's running, either because she's afraid she's going to end up back in the foster care system or because of what she witnessed."

"Poor kid," Abby stated. "She can't be out there by herself. You've got to go find her," Abby begged.

"Don't worry, Abby. We'll get her back." And she won't be very happy when I do, Gibbs thought. "McGee, you and DiNozzo take the K Street station in case she's headed there. Ziva and I will go to the station on 26th Street."

XxxxxxxX

I stepped into the lobby of the 26th Street bus station. To be honest, I was surprised I'd made it that far without someone from NCIS stopping me. Moving over to study the destination board, I tried to decide where I wanted to go. Since I wanted to get out of DC as quickly as I could, I decided on the bus to Raleigh, North Carolina. It was scheduled to leave in about an hour, and I could easily afford the fare with a little left over.

I was standing in line at the ticket counter when I felt a presence behind me. "Fuck," I said when I turned around to face Special Agent Gibbs.

"Watch your mouth." He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of line.

"Let me go, you son of a bitch," I yelled, hoping that drawing attention to him would cause him to let me go. I tried to pull my arm out of his grasp. When that didn't work, I let my backpack slide off my free shoulder. Holding it in my hand, I swung it in Gibbs's direction, only to have it intercepted by Special Agent David.

Our struggle was starting to draw attention. I noticed a couple of muscle-bound dudes step forward. I swear they would have looked more at home on motorcycles than in a bus station. The men stopped when Gibbs used his free hand to pull his badge out of his jacket pocket.

"Federal agents," he shouted to be heard above the din. "This young lady is a fugitive. I am taking her into custody." He stepped closer and dropped his voice. I don't think anyone but me heard what he said. "You are in enough trouble already, young lady. You can either voluntarily walk out of here with me and Agent David, or I can cuff you. Either way, you're returning to NCIS with me."

I studied Agent Gibbs's face. I could tell he was serious. Nodding, I indicated my willingness to cooperate.

"Good girl. Let's go."

XxxxxxX

Tony shook his head in disbelief as he watched Tori give the universal gesture for "fuck you." He glanced in Gibbs's direction and winced when he saw the muscles in his boss's jaw tighten. He hoped Tori knew what she was doing and was prepared to face the consequences. Knowing Gibbs, he wasn't going to take her rebellion lightly. "You were right, Ziva," he said, speaking over his shoulder, "that girl definitely has an attitude problem."

Like Tony, Ziva glanced at Gibbs. "Yes, one I am sure she will come to regret." She almost felt sorry for the teenager. Tori certainly hadn't had an easy life, but all wasn't lost. Ziva had seen a core of strength and good underneath the girl's bravado. She was sure Gibbs had seen it as well. If she knew her boss as well as she thought she did, Ziva was sure Gibbs would latch onto that and try to help her straighten out her life.

Gibbs watched in silence, ignoring the comments coming from the members of his team. _Yes,_ he thought_, she definitely has an attitude problem. One he was about to remedy_. Tori had been dealt a raw deal, that was true. But Gibbs saw the potential underneath the prickly exterior, and he was determined to bring it out. In the meantime, he had talked to some friends. They were good people and were willing to offer Tori a home once this was over. Gibbs knew he couldn't force her to take them up on it, but he hoped she would. It would be a chance for her to return to school and live like a normal teenager.

He observed her for a few more minutes, trying to decide if what he was about to do was the right step. He didn't know all that much about teenage girls, especially troubled ones, and only hoped that what he was about to do didn't make things worse. When he decided she'd been kept waiting long enough, he turned to the room's other occupants. "Everybody clear out. I need some privacy." It was time Victoria Neal learned a hard lesson in trust, obedience, and self-preservation.

Ziva had been studying Gibbs as he watched Tori pace the room. She couldn't help wondering whether it was his instincts as an investigator and marine or his paternal instincts that were in control. Either way, she trusted that Gibbs knew what he was doing.

As they left the room, she turned to Tony. "What do you think he is going to do?"

Tony glanced back in the direction they had just come. He watched as Gibbs exited the observation room and entered the neighboring interrogation room. "Our little juvenile delinquent may have just bitten off more than she can chew. I'd hazard a guess that when Gibbs is finished with her, sitting down isn't something she's going to want to do for a while."

Ziva wasn't quite sure she understood what her partner was alluding to. "You don't think he will . . . ?" She couldn't bring herself to actually say what she was thinking. Having been on the receiving end of Gibbs's discipline, she almost felt sorry for the girl. Almost.

Tony pushed open the door to the stairwell and held it for Ziva to pass through. "Blister her ass?" he asked as he followed. At Ziva's nod, he continued. "Yeah, I think he's gonna."

xxxxxxx

Which brings us back to me pacing around this damn interrogation room.

After what seemed like forever, the door opened and Gibbs walked in. After seeing the look on his face, I wish he'd waited a while longer.

"Sit down," he ordered as he pulled one of the chairs away from the table.

"No thanks, I'm fine where I am," I said from where I stood, leaning into the far corner of the room. No way was I going to make this easy on him.

"That wasn't a request." He took a step forward and paused, waiting to see if I would willingly obey his order. When I didn't move, he took me by the arm and led me to the table, where he forced me to sit in the chair. Maybe I should rethink my rebellious stance, I thought briefly.

He sat in the chair opposite me. I felt like a bug under a magnifying glass as he studied me. He smiled when I started to squirm under his gaze. I'm here to tell you, that smile was anything but reassuring. I'd seen sharks who looked friendlier.

Gibbs must have known he was getting to me, because he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know, running from your problems don't make them go away. It just creates new ones."

I shrugged. "It seemed like the thing to do at the time."

Gibbs nodded. "Where were you planning on going? You didn't have enough money to get very far." They had searched my backpack when I first arrived at NCIS headquarters, so he knew how much money I'd stashed away in it's lining.

I looked away. For the first time in a long while I felt guilty about something I'd done. Without meeting Gibbs's gaze, I pulled a folded stack of money out of my front pocket and laid it on the table. "I lifted it from Abby's purse. It's all there, I didn't spend any of it." Gibbs picked up the stack of bills and flipped through them. It was a little over a hundred dollars. I watched as he slipped it into his shirt pocket.

He sat back in his chair, never taking his eyes off me. "You put yourself in danger by running off when you don't know whether or not the murderer is looking for you. If he saw you in that alley, it wouldn't be hard to identify you. Plus, you stole. It doesn't matter that you didn't spend any of it, you still stole the money from Abby." Gibbs paused and watched as I squirmed in my seat some more.

It had been a long time since anyone had cared one way or the other about what I did. All was fine and dandy with my foster parents as long as I was quiet and stayed out of their way. As soon as I started acting out, they shipped me off somewhere else. It actually felt good, but I wasn't sure I liked the direction this was going.

"The way I see it, Victoria, you have two choices," Gibbs stated and brought me out of my thoughts. "I do this by the book and charge you with theft by unlawful taking for the money you stole from Abby and interfering with a federal investigation for taking off before giving your statement. That should land you in juvenile hall until you turn eighteen, and, given your age, you may also end up spending some time in the federal pen." He studied my face as he spoke, never breaking eye contact with me. I knew in my gut that he meant every word he said. I could feel a cold sweat breaking out at the thought of going back into the system that way.

"Or, you can take responsibility for your actions," Gibbs continued. "Apologize to Abby for running off under her watch and for stealing her money. Accept the consequences for your actions. All will be forgiven and the slate wiped clean. Give me your word that you won't try to take off again and do your best to help with this case, and I'll give you mine that I'll help you find a place to stay after this is over."

"No bullshit?" I couldn't tell if Gibbs was offended by my language or not. His features remained set in a neutral expression. Of all of the offenses I'd committed today, that was the one he hadn't named. I studied his face, trying to see if there was any deception there.

"No bullshit," he said repeating my words back to me. "I will never lie to you, Victoria. These next few weeks aren't going to be easy on you, even if you do cooperate. But it'll be easier than juvie, and I think you know that. You are a smart young woman with lots of potential. I'm offering you the opportunity to explore it."

I considered the man in front of me. There was something about this stone-faced man that told me I could trust him with my life. "What kind of consequences?" I was almost afraid to ask.

"A spanking."

I don't know what I had been expecting him to say, but it hadn't been that. "A spanking?" I asked incredulously. "You can't be serious. I'm a little old for that, don't you think?"

Gibbs leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. The expression on his face, although still stern, seemed to soften a little. "No, I don't. You've acted like a child, so you should receive a child's punishment. As I said, once it's over, the slate will be wiped clean. We'll never discuss this again."

I thought about what he'd said. "What did you mean when you said you'd help me find a place to stay?"

"Just what I said," Gibbs replied. "I've talked to some friends of mine. They're good people and are willing to give you a home. You can have a normal life - go back to school, find a boyfriend, be a teenager."

He could have no idea how good that sounded. I haven't had a normal life since my mom died. "Okay," I found myself saying. I couldn't believe what I was agreeing to do.

Gibbs nodded and pushed his chair back away from the table. "Good girl," he said, giving me a reassuring smile. He held out his hand to me.

I studied it a moment. It was large and callused. This wasn't to be the first spanking I'd ever received. You might not believe it, but I got into a lot of trouble as a child. This was totally different, though. It was being delivered by someone other than my mom. My foster parents hadn't cared enough to bother. When I caused more trouble than they cared to deal with, they just shipped me off to another home. Swallowing hard to remove the large lump from my throat, I put my hand in his.

"How are we going to do this?" I asked. My voice sounded weak and nervous to my ears. I wondered briefly if it sounded that way to Gibbs.

He urged me to my feet and guided me around the table. When I was in front of him, he tugged until I was lying face down across his lap. It struck me as funny that I fit so easily. All thoughts of that flew out of my mind the moment Gibbs's hand made contact with my ass. Before I could register the sting from that first swat, another one landed. He didn't lecture as he spanked me. Rather, he applied swat after stinging swat. Soon my ass felt like it was on fire.

It took me several seconds to realize that the spanking had ended. I was lying limply across his lap, tears streaming down my face. It dawned on me as I lay there, that this was the first time I had really cried since my mom's death. It felt almost like a release.

"It's okay. It's over," Gibbs was speaking softly while he rubbed comforting circles on my back.

When I shifted to get up, he helped me stand. Once he was sure I was on steady on my feet, he stood also. I was surprised when he pulled me into his arms and hugged me. It only took a moment before I returned his embrace, taking comfort from the solid wall of chest under my cheek.

"I'm sorry," I said in a quiet voice.

"I know you are. Everything is going to be fine now."

I pulled out of his embrace and wiped the tears from my cheeks. Nodding in acceptance of his statement, I asked, "so what now?"

"Now we go home. You'll be staying with me until this is over."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: A big thank you to everyone who reviewed this story and requested that I continue it. I have revised the first chapter to flesh it out a bit and to correct my typos. I'm a bit embarrassed that I posted something in that condition. Anyway, I encourage you to re-read that chapter before you read this one.

As always, if you like what you've read or have any constructive criticism, please post a review or send me a message. I love hearing from my readers.

**CHAPTER 2**

Gibbs glanced over at the teenager sleeping in the passenger seat of his 1971 Dodge Challenger. It was late, and it had definitely been a long day for both of them. After their "discussion" in the interrogation room, he had taken Tori to the squad room, where he made arrangements with child services to take her into protective custody and checked the status of his team's investigation.

Pulling into his driveway, he shut off the engine and sat, listening to the silence of the dark night. The neighborhood was quiet. But then, it generally was. The only exception was the horde of kids that seemed to run tame through the yards during the day whenever they were out of school. Sighing, he reached over to shake Tori's shoulder and wake her.

XxxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

I must have fallen asleep in the car, because the next thing I knew Gibbs was shaking me awake. I shifted and groaned has I was reminded of the sting in my sore backside. Who knew a man's hand could have that much of a lasting reminder.

"Where are we?" I asked as I looked around. Although it was dark, I could see we were in a neighborhood, parked in front of a small house. I couldn't see much of it due to the lack of light, but it looked like what my mom had always called a story-and-a-half craftsman. There had been one near our apartment that she loved. In fact, she had made an offer to buy it only days before she'd been killed.

"Home," he said, pulling my thoughts back to the present. I wiped the tear that ran down my cheek as I watched Gibbs round the vehicle and open my door. I hoped he couldn't see that I'd been crying as I got out and reached back in to grab my backpack.

I have to tell you, after seeing the outside of the house; the inside was not what I was expecting. The furniture, what there was of it, looked like it was decades older than me. There was a couch and chair in the living room and what looked like a card table and chairs in the dining room. The one thing there was plenty of was books. They seemed to be stacked on every available flat surface.

"Come on, it's late," Gibbs said as he headed toward the staircase. "I'll show you where you'll be sleeping and get you something to change into."

Once upstairs, I followed him into a bedroom. I'd also seen a bathroom and two another rooms which I assumed were bedrooms, although the doors were closed. The bedroom we were in was plainly furnished with what you'd expect to find, a king-size bed with night stands and a dresser. I dropped my backpack on the bed and turned to look at Gibbs. I was more than ready to hit the sack.

"What the hell? Is this your room?" That little fact dawned on me as I watched him move to the dresser and pull a t-shirt from one of the drawers. Suddenly, I was no longer sleepy.

Gibbs gave me a hard look that clearly told me he didn't appreciate the language I had chosen to use before turning and tossing the t-shirt on the bed. It landed next to my backpack. "You can sleep in that if you want." He sighed and turned to look at me. "Yes, this is my room. Neither of the other bedrooms is fit for human habitation. We'll work on getting one of the rooms ready for you later. In the meantime," he said as he took a step toward me, "you'll sleep here. The sheets are clean."

Gibbs must have sensed my continued reluctance, because he turned and walked back to the door. "Look, I rack out on the couch nearly every night, so this room is yours until I can clear out the guestroom." There was something about the way he said that that told me there was a whole lot more to that story. Maybe, I thought, since I wasn't sleepy, I'd wait until Gibbs had a chance to fall asleep then sneak into the other rooms to find out what he was hiding.

"I want to be at NCIS at 0700 in the morning, so plan on being up and downstairs by 6:30." Gibbs closed the door, and I could hear him moving down the hallway toward the stairs.

When I could no longer hear his footsteps on the wooden floors, I cracked the door open just far enough to peak out. Seeing that the coast was clear, I grabbed the t-shirt and made my way to the bathroom. The thought of the first real shower I'd have in months was too much to resist. The hot spray felt so good that I stayed in until the water ran cold and the bathroom was full of steam. After getting out and donning the t-shirt, I again checked to see if the hallway was clear.

There wasn't a sound in the house, and the only light seemed to be the one I'd left burning in the bedroom. Maybe that meant that Gibbs was asleep, I thought as I made my way to the nearest closed door. I opened it to find boxes and more piles of books. Clearly, he'd been using that room as storage. I closed the door softly and made my way to the last room at the far end of the hallway. I opened the door and wasn't sure what to make of what I found there.

It was obviously a little girl's room. The walls were painted soft lavender, and the furniture was all white. There were white lacey curtains at the single window and a white and lavender quilt on the twin-sized canopy bed. In one corner there was a child-sized rocking chair overflowing with dolls and stuffed animals. The opposite corner held a fully furnished dollhouse. I ran a finger over the small dressing table and it came away covered in a light layer of dust. The room looked like it had been frozen in time.

I felt like I had intruded on some sacred space, so I quickly stepped out of the room and closed the door. As I made my way back down the hall to the bedroom I'd been assigned, I wondered who the occupant of that room had been. As I gently closed the door, it occurred to me that the bedroom may be belonged to Gibbs's daughter. If so, was that the reason Gibbs slept downstairs on the couch instead of in his own bed? I was still pondering that question when I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning I was awakened by Gibbs shaking my shoulder. Seems he was developing a bad habit of that. "Come on, Tori, wake up."

I burrowed deeper into the covers and pulled my pillow over my head."Go away," I mumbled into the mattress. I've never been a morning person, but I quickly learned that was a mistake. The covers were yanked back and a hard slap landed on my backside.

"Fuck!"

Another hard swat landed. "Watch the language, or I'll wash your mouth out with soap – after I blister your hide. Now get up. You've got ten minutes to get dressed and get your butt downstairs for breakfast." Gibbs turned and left the room.

Since I was awake now, and I didn't want to find out what Gibbs would do if I used more than my allotted ten minutes, I jumped out of bed and quickly dressed. Grabbing my backpack from where I'd left it on the dresser, I made my way downstairs.

I managed to slide into a chair at the dining room table just as Gibbs placed two plates of eggs and toast down. I eyed the glass of orange juice beside my plate and the cup of coffee that sat next to his. Indicating the cup of coffee, I asked, "may I have some of that?" Yes, believe it or not, I know my manners. I just choose when and where to use them.

"Nope," Gibbs stated as he took a bite of eggs. "Drink your juice instead."

"But . . ." I started to say, but quickly changed my mind at his raised eyebrow. Instead I muttered something unflattering under my breath and picked up my fork.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." I shoveled eggs into my mouth and picked up a piece of toast.

The expression on Gibbs's face clearly indicated that he didn't believe me, but was choosing to ignore what my mom would have referred to as my sass. I started squirming as he studied me. I'd dressed this morning in the only pair of jean and the only other shirt I own. Both were clean, but wrinkled, and my jeans were looking a bit ratty. I'd washed them out last night and hung them over the shower rod to dry.

"What?"

"I was just thinking that we need to do some shopping on the way home tonight. Get you some clothes and whatever else you need."

"Seriously?" I asked, a little surprised.

"Seriously." Gibbs finished his breakfast and stood. He reached for my now empty plate. Instead of giving it to him, I stood also and took his plate from his hands.

"You cooked breakfast, I'll take care of the dishes." That too was a remnant of life with my mom. One of us cooked, the other one washed the dishes. Usually, that was me, as I hated to cook.

"Just leave them in the sink, you can wash them tonight," Gibbs instructed. He pulled my backpack off the back of my chair and held in out for me.

I hope my face didn't show the flash of panic I felt when he picked up my bag. Yeah, I know I'm probably a little paranoid about it, but everything I own is in that bag. It's not much, but it's still mine. Plus, when you've lived like I have for the last six months, you get overprotective of your stuff unless you want to lose it.

Gibbs held onto the backpack for a brief moment when I reached out to take it from him. His face softened as he said, "I know it's going to take a while for you to believe me, but you're safe with me and with my people. I promise you, none of us will let anything happen to you."

If only he knew how badly I wanted to believe that. I haven't felt safe since my mom died. Not trusting myself to be able to speak without my voice breaking, I nodded.

"Come on, we're going to be late." I watched as Gibbs scooped a set of keys up off the coffee table. "I want you to work with Abby to come up with a composite of the man you saw in that alley." He stopped and nailed me with a hard look. "You're also going to apologize to her for running off and taking that money from her purse."

XxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

McGee entered the squad room. As usual, he arrived before Tony, but he was a little surprised that he had apparently beaten Ziva to work. He paused when he spotted Gibbs sitting at his desk. The older man was wearing his reading glasses and was concentrating on whatever was written on the paper he held in his hand. Based on the expression on his face, whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"Morning, Boss." McGee moved to his own desk to begin his morning routine of starting up his electronic equipment.

Gibbs paused in his reading and looked up. "McGee."

"Morning all," Ziva said cheerfully as she rushed into the squad room. It was such a beautiful morning out that she had gotten off her bus a stop early and walked the rest of the way to the Navy Yard. These late spring/early summer mornings were one of the things she'd come to love about living in Washington D.C.

"How is Tori this morning?" Ziva asked, looking around the room. She had expected to see the young woman. Given Tori's escape attempt the day before, Ziva was surprised that Gibbs would let her out of his sight.

"She's down with Abby right now." Gibbs removed his glasses and placed the papers he'd been reading in a folder on his desk. It was a report he'd received from D'Arcy McKinna, his contact at Child Protective Services, regarding Tori's history. The kid had definitely had a rough two years, and it no wonder she'd run. He was even more determined now to make sure the girl had a good home when this was over.

"Is that a good idea, Boss?" McGee asked. He was still smarting a little over the fact that Tori had taken off during his watch.

"Oh, she'll stay put this time," Gibbs said a bit cockily as he rounded his desk. "Where's DiNozzo?"

***** FLASHBACK *****

_Earlier that morning:_

I don't know what the man was thinking. Doesn't he know you aren't supposed to mess with elevator controls? After all, you mess with them too much and the thing isn't going to work right anymore. And, I don't particularly want to be on one when that happens.

Anyway, we were in the elevator heading down to Abby's lab when Gibbs flipped a switch that caused the elevator to stop its descent. "We need to have a little discussion before I leave you with Abby," he said turning to look at me.

Great, I thought, another lecture, just what I wanted to hear this morning.

"You are a smart young woman," he began.

Don't you just hate it when they start a lecture that way? They always follow that up with a description of how you've been stupid. I guess he could tell what I was thinking, because his expression hardened.

"I think you know what you could potentially be facing out there on your own, especially if Gunnery Sergeant Wilson's killer saw you." Gibbs paused. Since he seemed to expecting me to respond, I said, "yes, sir." That wasn't a lie. I knew my life wouldn't be worth a steaming pile of shit if that guy found me.

"Good. Keep that in mind if you decide to try to take off again." He reached over and flipped the switch to restart the elevator on its descent. "Because if you do, I will find you. When I do, you'll be spending the rest of your time sitting in a cell. That is, if you can sit at all."

Yep, I got that loud and clear. Not that I was planning on running again, or at least not right now. Gibbs was right about one thing. I was a lot safer with him and his team than I was out on the street, especially if that asshole got a look at me. None of the others at the warehouse had any reason not to rat me out if he went around asking questions. Besides, I'd be insane to turn away the opportunity for regular meals and a clean bed to sleep in. You gotta take advantage of things like that while you can.

When we stepped into Abby's lab the music was blaring, and Gibbs walked over to the stereo to turn it down. I got the impression that it was something he did on a regular basis. Abby looked up from whatever it was she was studying under a microscope.

"Good morning, Gibbs." Her voice lost some of its cheerfulness and warmth when she spotted me. "Tori."

"Been here long?" Gibbs asked as he moved across the room and kissed her on the cheek before handing her the large cup of Caff-Pow he'd been carrying. I guess that answers my question of why he stopped to buy it. I have to admit that, even though I can't stand the taste of that stuff, I was a little jealous since I'd been denied caffeine that morning.

"Thanks," she said as she took a long drink of the bright red liquid. "Not long, I've just gotten started analyzing some of the samples Ducky sent up from Gunnery Sergeant Wilson. There was this weird sticky substance on his clothing. I'm trying to identify it." She sent a significant look in my direction. "What's going on?"

Gibbs apparently understood exactly what she meant. "I want you to work with Tori to create a composite of the guy she saw with our victim. Then run facial recognition on it."

Abby nodded. Apparently, she wasn't very happy with the idea.

Gibbs started to walk off, leaving the two of us alone. "Oh," he said, turning back, "there's something Tori wants to say to you." He sent me a look that told me in no uncertain terms that I'd better do it right or there'd be hell to pay.

"What is it?"

I stepped forward and cleared by throat. I hate making apologies. "I'm sorry I took off on you," I said, calling up tears to well in my eyes. Oh yeah, I'd long ago perfected the technique of getting my eyes to tear up on command. "And, I'm sorry I took the money from your purse. I was afraid, and I was only thinking about getting away to someplace safe. Can you forgive me?"

I heard Gibbs snort under his breath. I risked a quick glance in his direction, and he didn't appear to be too upset with my slightly over dramatic apology. It must have worked on Abby, though. The next thing I knew she was flinging her arms around me in a tight hug. "Oh, you poor thing, of course I forgive you. You don't have to be afraid anymore, you're safe here with Gibbs. He won't let anything happen to you."

I watched over Abby's shoulder as Gibbs turned to leave the room. "Keep her here with you, Abby, until someone comes down to get her. She goes nowhere by herself."

***** END FLASHBACK *****

"You're late," Gibbs snapped when DiNozzo came strolling into the squad room.

Tony looked down at his watch. "It's not 0700 yet." He saw the expression on Gibbs's face. "Doesn't matter, I'm late. Won't happen again, Boss."

"Uh huh." Gibbs pinned each member of his team with a hard look. "Gunnery Sergeant Nathan Wilson, what have you got?"

"We're going to talk to his co-workers at the Quantico armory later this morning," Ziva reported, coming around to stand in front of her desk. "I've requested a copy of his personnel file. It's supposed to be faxed over this morning."

Tony stepped around his desk to sit down at his computer. He pulled up information he wanted to reference. "I've taken a look at his financials. He has regular deposits from Mylar Corporation. They own a number of night clubs and strip joints in the D.C. Metro area." He moved to the printer to pick up the list that slid into the tray. "The deposits are large enough to be paychecks. Could be our gunnery sergeant was moonlighting at one of these places. I just haven't been able to determine which one."

"McGee?" Gibbs demanded, turning to the third member of his team.

"I might be able to help you there, Tony," McGee said as he put data up on the plasma screen. "Abby and I went through Gunnery Sergeant Wilson's email accounts last night. There are several that reference Club Doom, a Goth club located in the same industrial warehouse area of Arlington where Wilson was killed."

"McGee, you and I will go talk to Wilson's family, then go search his residence for anything that times him to Club Doom. This afternoon, I want you to check out the club." Gibbs turned to Tony and Ziva. "You two go to Quantico to talk to his co-workers." Normally, he would have made that trip, but he wanted to stay relatively close to the Navy Yard because of Tori. He didn't want the girl left alone, so he'd have to talk to the Director about making arrangements for other agents to keep an eye on her while he was out in the field. Maybe Ducky would be willing to step in and give Abby a break as well, since it wasn't fair to the forensic scientist to have to split her attention between her job and Tori.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thank you for all of the reviews and alerts on this story. They mean a lot to me. Please continue to review if you like what I've written. Also, feel free to message me if you have constructive criticism. **

**I'm still finding writing in first person to be a bit of a challenge. But, I'm having fun with this story, probably because it is such a challenge. I've got the plot outlined in my head, so hopefully it will make its way onto my computer screen rather quickly.**

**CHAPTER 3**

"The men and women of this agency are federal agents, not babysitters, Gibbs."

"I am well aware of that, Leon." Gibbs met the Director's hard look with one of his own. "But I have a seventeen year old witness to the homicide of a marine. She's got a history of running away and has already managed to get away from NCIS once. I have to be out in the field investigating, but I can't take her with me. Nor can I leave her somewhere by herself."

Vance sighed and removed the toothpick from the corner of his mouth. He was a father as well as the director of NCIS. As such, he had to wonder just how much of Gibbs's concern was for Tori herself or because she was a witness he wanted to protect. "Where is she now?"

"With Abby," Gibbs responded. He picked a paper weight up from Vance's desk and studied it. "But, I can't leave her down there all day."

"I'll give you a probationary agent for four hours today, after that you're on your own." The toothpick was returned to its usual position in the corner of Vance's mouth. "Have a couple of your team members set the girl up in one of the safe houses if you have to."

Gibbs nodded and left the office. He was known for playing his emotions close to his vest, and putting Tori in a safe house was the last thing he wanted to do. After reading her file and spending a little time with her, he instinctively knew that if he did that, she would take off again.

XxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

"Abby," I said as I studied the face on the computer screen. It was a pretty good likeness of the guy I saw in the alley, but there was still something off about it. "I really meant what I said earlier about being sorry for running off and taking that money from you." I really did feel bad about it. It was the first time in a long time that my conscious bothered me over something I'd done.

She glanced over at me. The expression on her face indicated that she was a little surprised at my statement. "I know you are, Tori." She put her arm around my shoulder and drew me close in a one-armed hug. "I can't imagine how scared you must have been. I'd be terrified if I were in your shoes." Abby turned back to her computer before continuing. "I meant what I said, too. Gibbs will protect you. He won't let anything happen."

"His eyes need to be closer together and a bit narrower, I think." I watched, fascinated as Abby made the suggested changes to the computer image. She had given me a tour of her lab before we'd settled down to work on the image. I have to admit, I've always been fascinated by computers, so in my opinion, this was perfect. "That's him!"

"Great job," Abby nearly bounced with excitement. "Now, we'll save it and run a facial recognition search on it." She stood and motioned for me to follow her into the lab.

I pulled up a stool and sat at the counter and watched my new friend work her magic. Soon, I was lost in my own thoughts, which were circling around to the young girl's bedroom I had found the night before.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked, tentatively. I wasn't sure I really wanted to know the answer to my question.

"Sure," she responded, giving me a reassuring smile. There was something about her that really made me feel at ease.

"How well do you know Gibbs?"

The confusion was evident on her face and in her voice. "I suppose I know him as well as anyone does. He doesn't share a lot about himself, even with those he's close to. Why?" she asked somewhat skeptically.

"I poked around his house a bit last night," I said and related to her what I had discovered. "Do you know whose bedroom that was? Did Gibbs have a daughter?"

I could tell by the expression on her face that she hadn't been expecting that question. I couldn't tell if she surprised that the bedroom existed or that I'd found it.

"Well, um . . . ," she started. She was interrupted when one of her machines dinged. I'm sure she was relieved to be saved by the bell, because Abby quickly moved to review the results.

"Gibbs will be walking in here any minute," she said, almost to herself. "I've got something, and he always shows up when I've got something."

"How does he know you've got something?" I asked.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when he strode into the room. "It's one of my secret powers." He handed one of the fountain drinks he held to me. I took an experimental sip and discovered it was a coke. He held onto the other cup. At least he wasn't completely opposed to me consuming caffeine and sugar.

"Are you going to make me ask?"

"Would I do that to you, my silver-haired fox?" Abby teased as she pulled test results up onto one of the computer monitors. "I've identified the substance that was on Gunnery Sergeant Wilson's clothing. I found it on the fly and waist band of his pants and on the cuffs of his shirt sleeves. It's," she glanced in my direction before continuing carefully, "a personal lubricant sold under the brand name Wet Lubes Body Glide."

I couldn't help myself. "So your dead marine was astro livin', huh? Maybe that's what got him killed."

If the look Gibbs gave me was anything to go by, he hadn't appreciated my input. I'm not even sure he knows what it means. I'm sure if he did, I'd have gotten a whole lot more than a dirty look. Abby sure did, though, if her blush was anything to go by. I just shrugged and gave him my most innocent look. "What?" You'd be surprised at the vocabulary I've picked up during my time on the streets, and most of it isn't exactly fit for polite conversation. Believe me, that particular phrase is something that would have had my mom washing my mouth out with industrial strength soap.

Gibbs's glare hardened a little before he looked away to study the computer monitor where the facial recognition search was running. "How's that going?"

"I'm running it through a couple of law enforcement databases. Hopefully, I'll have something . . . ." She was interrupted by a ding from the computer as the search paused and settled on one particular image. "Right about now," she said cheekily.

Gibbs moved in to examine the information displayed on the monitor. "Darron Wade, last known address here in D.C." He turned to Abby and handed her the other fountain drink and dropped a quick kiss on her cheek. "Good job."

Flipping open his cell phone, he ordered whoever was on the other end to issue an APB for Darron Wade. "I'm going to be in the field for the next few hours with McGee, going through Wilson's apartment and checking out . . ." he paused, as though considering his words carefully. "The establishment where he may have had a second job." He turned to pin me with a hard look. "Agent Dorneget will be down to get you in about half an hour. You are to stay with him and do whatever he tells you until I get back. Understood?"

Damn, I thought. I'd hoped to be able to spend the day with Abby. "Yes, sir," I answered quickly. Hey, nobody ever said I was a dummy, I knew exactly what response he was expecting.

"I hope you do, because if you try and pull anything while I'm gone, you will sorely regret it." Did he really have to emphasize the word sorely? Like I had any doubt as to his meaning. I may have been in Gibbs's custody for less than twenty-four hours, but believe me, I've got him pegged. Turning to Abby, he instructed, "get that information to Tony, McGee, and Ziva," before turning to walk out of the lab.

"Astro lubing?" Abby grinned. "Where exactly did you learn that phrase?"

I grinned back and shrugged. "You hear things living on the streets. Did you see his face when I said it?" I asked on a laugh.

"Yeah, I thought your ass was toast," Abby responded as she took a drink of her Caff-Pow. "I know you haven't known him long, but Gibbs doesn't tolerate much foolishness."

Yeah, I'd noticed that about him already.

"Abby," I said, wanting to turn the topic back to the question I hadn't had answered. "Do you know something about that bedroom?"

She sighed and placed her Caff-Pow on the nearby work bench before pulling up a stool to sit across from me. "Gibbs doesn't talk much about his past. I only found out about it a few years ago." Abby ran her hand over one of her pigtails, as if she were attempting to soothe herself or center her thoughts. "A long time ago, his wife, Shannon, and his daughter, Kelly, were killed. She was eight years old."

Damn, I thought. Well, that could explain the room and why he was so grumpy.

Abby was prevented from commenting further when an older man in a lab coat entered the lab. "Good morning, Abby. I have some samples from an unattended death on which I need you to run toxicology." He stopped short when he spotted me. "You must be the young lady I've been hearing so much about."

"Oh, hi, Ducky," Abby said cheerfully as she jumped down from her stool. "This is Tori. Tori, please meet Dr. Mallard."

"Hello, Dr. Mallard," I said as I stood and held out my hand. Like I said, I know my manners. I just choose when and where to use them.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Tori. Please, call me Ducky, everyone does."

XxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

Tony and Ziva easily passed through the security post at the entrance to Quantico, pausing only to obtain directions to the ammunition supply post. They continued in silence for a few minutes before Tony spoke.

"You know, I bet handing out bullets for a living isn't what Gunnery Sergeant Wilson had in mind when he enlisted in the marines. I mean, can you get any more boring than that?"

Ziva turned slightly in her seat to look at her partner. "You think that might be why he went looking for something a little more . . .," she paused for effect, "exciting?"

"Well, I guess that's what we're here to find how, isn't it, Zee-Va." Tony emphasized the two syllables of her name, simply because he knew it irritated her.

Tony parked in front of the gate to the armory. When another guard came to request they move their vehicle, both he and Ziva showed their badges.

"What can I do for NCIS?"

"You can tell us if you know Gunnery Sergeant Nathan Wilson, Lance Corporal . . . ," Ziva paused to read the man's name tag, "Conley."

"Not really, ma'am." Lance Corporal Conley shook his head. "I knew him to say hello, but that was about it." A confused look crossed his face as he switched his gaze from Ziva to Tony and back. "Is he in trouble?"

"You could say that. Where would we find his commanding officer?"

"That would be Warrant Officer Joshi Gopinathan. This time of day, he's probably in his office." The lance corporal gestured to the entrance behind him. "Down the hall, third door on your right, then second door on your left."

Tony nodded and started through the door. Ziva paused a moment and dug a business card out of her backpack. "If you think of anything that might be of use to us, please give me a call."

"I don't care if J. Edgar Hoover comes back from the dead and asks you to hand him ammo without logging it out, you don't do it. Every single bullet that passes through this supply post must be accounted for. Is that understood?" Tony and Ziva heard the shouting well before they reached the warrant officer's doorway. They weren't able to hear the other person's reply, which only piqued their curiosity. They approached the open doorway and saw a stocky man of Indian descent towering over a petite blonde woman.

Tony cleared his throat at about the same moment that Ziva knocked on the door frame.

"What do you want?" The man demanded as he looked in their direction.

"Warrant Officer Joshi Gopinathan?" Tony asked, holding up his badge.

"Yes, sir. I repeat, what do you want?"

"We need to speak with you regarding Gunnery Sergeant Nathan Wilson," Tony stated as he and Ziva entered the room. "In private."

"Dismissed, PFC Walker." The woman saluted and, glancing in the direction of the two NCIS agents, turned to leave. She didn't release the breath she'd been holding until she was outside in the hallway. When she first spotted the agents, she'd been afraid they were there regarding her recent screw-up. Now, she was curious as to why they wanted to talk to the warrant officer regarding Nathan. But, she was already in enough trouble, and getting caught eavesdropping wouldn't help matters any, so she hurried back to her duty station.

"Gunnery Sergeant Wilson isn't here. This is his day off." Warrant Officer Gopinathan rounded his desk and sat.

"I wouldn't expect him to report to duty anytime soon," Ziva stated as she shared a look with Tony.

"What do you mean?"

"What my partner was trying to put delicately is that Gunnery Sergeant Nathan Wilson is dead," Tony stated matter of factly.

"Dead?" the warrant officer demanded as he rose back to his feet. "When? What happened?"

"When was the last time you saw him?" Tony asked, ignoring the other man's questions.

"At the end of his shift three days ago, around fourteen hundred hours."

"Do you know any reason why he would have been in the warehouse district of Arlington?" Ziva asked, as she moved to look at the plaques hanging on the far wall. She turned back, waiting for his answer.

"Is that where he died?"

Tony related the bare facts of Gunnery Sergeant Wilson's death. "Now answer the question."

Warrant Officer Gopinathan returned to his seat behind the desk. "I don't know a lot about his private life. He didn't share much about it with me," he said as he gestured vaguely in the direction of the ammunition supply room. "He may have talked more with his co-workers. But, I do know that he's been dating a woman who is a dancer at some club in Arlington. He's been moonlighting as a bouncer there for the last few months."

"You know the name of the club?" Tony asked. His radar was starting to go off.

"Yeah, I think it was Club Doom or something ridiculous like that."

Ziva and Tony exchanged a look. This just confirmed the information they had gleaned from the gunnery sergeant's financial records.

"We'll need to speak with Wilson's co-workers," Tony stated.

"Of course." The other man stood and stepped around the agents. "This way."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for their reviews and alerts on this story. Please keep them up. **

**CHAPTER 4**

"I think I've got something, Boss," McGee called out as he read over a printed email he'd found in one of Gunnery Sergeant Wilson's desk drawers.

"What is it?" Gibbs asked as he came in from the bedroom he'd been searching for any clue that might aid them in finding his killer.

Knowing his boss, the younger man quickly summarized the contents of the email. "It's not signed, and I don't recognize the sender's email address as one of the ones I identified for Wilson. It contains threats to someone named Mandy for leaving him. I'll be able to tell you more once I get back to the Navy Yard and run down the owners of the email addresses. I should also be able to identify who this Mandy is and what connection she has to our victim."

Gibbs nodded. He wanted to go by Club Doom and interview anyone there who might have pertinent information. His gut was telling him that the answers they needed would be found there.

"Could be Wilson's girlfriend," Gibbs speculated. "I found a couple of bras hanging in the bathroom and some makeup in the medicine cabinet. There's a box of condoms in the nightstand."

"You sure they belong to his girlfriend, and not to Gunnery Sergeant Wilson?" McGee asked with a hint of humor in his voice. He recalled at least two cases that had involved men who cross-dressed as women.

Gibbs glared in response. He would have expected that kind of comment from DiNozzo rather than McGee. "No, McGee, I don't think they belong to Gunnery Sergeant Wilson."

"Sorry, Boss," McGee said contritely, earning another glare for violating Rule No. 6, again. It was the one rule he had the most trouble remembering.

"Let's finish up here and get back to headquarters."

XxxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

I glanced up from my book as Ziva passed by where I was sitting slouched behind Gibbs's desk. It had been about an hour since Ziva and Tony had taken over my "protection detail" from Agent Dorneget. During that time, I'd gotten a good start on the book Agent Dorneget had purchased for me at a nearby news stand. To be honest, I was a little surprised that Gibbs had even suggested he take me out of NCIS headquarters long enough to do that. I suppose it was because we were still on the Navy Yard.

Suddenly the book was jerked out of my hands. "Hey, give that back. It's mine!" I shouted at Ziva as I rose and attempted to snatch it back from her.

She took a step back so that she was out of my reach and turned the book over in her hand, as though studying it. "I do not believe so." Instead of returning it to me, she carried it to her desk. I jumped up to retrieve it myself, but she stepped into my path.

"You bitch, get out of my way," I said as I attempted to step around her, only to have my path blocked again.

"What the hell is going on here?" a stern voice demanded from behind me. I didn't recognize the voice. All I knew was that it didn't belong to Gibbs, but it still sent a chill down my spine. My mood wasn't made any better by the smirk that briefly crossed Ziva's face.

I turned to see a stern-looking man standing at the half wall which created an entrance to the bullpen. His arms were crossed over his chest, and judging by the expression on his face, he was anything but happy.

"Director Vance," Ziva stated, stepping away from me. "It is nothing, just a dispute over a book."

"Well, I heard your "nothing" all the way up in my office. This is a federal office building, not a school yard. What I have just witnessed is unacceptable, from both of you." He pinned us both with a hard look. "Is that understood?"

Ziva responded, "yes, sir" as I nodded. Apparently that wasn't good enough for him as he took another step in my direction and demanded. "Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." I added "you son of a bitch" in my mind. I wasn't nearly stupid enough to say it out loud.

"Good. Now, what is the problem here?"

"She took my book and won't give it back." I said as I gestured toward Ziva's desk and the paperback book laying on its surface. I suddenly realized how childish that sounded and hoped Director Vance hadn't noticed.

"Ziva?" he asked, turning to her.

She picked the book up from her desk and handed it to him. "I took it from her because I do not believe it is appropriate readying material for someone her age. While I do not believe Gibbs would necessarily be one to censor what she reads, I do not think he would approve of this book."

Director Vance glanced down at the book. The cover was black with a picture of a knotted silvery grey tie and bore the title. "_Fifty Shades of Grey_? What is inappropriate about it?"

His question surprised me a little. Even I'd heard all about this book and the two others that followed it.

"It is rather, um, explicit in nature, Director," Ziva said as a blush reddened her cheeks. I wouldn't have thought it possible for that to happen. If I hadn't been so angry at her, I probably would have gotten a laugh out of it.

Director Vance narrowed his eyes and turned the book over to read the summary on the back cover. A few seconds later, he glared at me as he slipped the book into his jack pocket. "I believe Special Agent David is correct. This is not appropriate reading material for a seventeen year old girl. I won't ask you where you got it, but I will be holding on to it until Gibbs returns." He moved to a small bookcase behind Gibbs's desk and pulled a book off one of the shelves. "In the meantime, you can read this," he said as he handed the book to me.

I glanced down at the hardback book I now held in my hand, _Deep Six_. I'd never heard of it. Shrugging, I stated, "whatever," as I tossed it onto Gibbs's desk.

"Young lady, I suggest you keep in mind that while you are in this building you are expected to conduct yourself as a well-behaved, responsible young woman, rather than as a spoiled two year old. Do I need to arrange for you to wait in my office for Gibbs to return?"

Somehow I didn't think he meant for that to be a pleasant experience. In fact, it sounded an awfully lot like I was being threatened with a trip to the principal's office. It came off as a little ridiculous. After all, what could he do to me. I shrugged in response.

Director Vance stepped forward until he towered over me. I resisted the urge to step back and held my ground. He spoke quietly so that only I heard his next words. "Check your attitude, or I will take a page out of Gibbs's book that will make him look like a pussy cat in comparison. Is that clear?"

How the hell did he know about the spanking Gibbs had given me? Because, I had no doubt that was what he was referring to. I tried not to show what I was thinking, but my voice quavered a bit when I responded, "yes, sir."

He nodded. "I hope so, because if there is any more trouble out of you, that is exactly what is going to happen. And, I don't think I have to tell how Gibbs is likely to react to that, do I?"

Yeah, I knew exactly how Gibbs would react, and it's not an experience that I'm too anxious to repeat any time soon.

"What was that about?" Tony asked as he entered the bullpen. He'd seen Director Vance speaking with Ziva and Tori, but had been too far away to hear the conversation.

"Nothing that concerns you," I said sharply as I plopped back down at Gibbs's desk. I really don't want to about it. Instead, I'd rather pout for a while.

"We have had a disagreement regarding her choice of reading material," Ziva stated as she returned to her desk. "But it has been resolved, now I suggest you get to work. Gibbs will expect us to have information for him when he returns."

XxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

I looked up from my book as Gibbs entered the bullpen, followed closely by McGee. The book wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and it hadn't taken me long to figure out that McGee had written it based on the people here at NCIS. Still, it wasn't my first choice in reading material, but a book was a book.

"How'd it go?" Gibbs asked as he paused at Ziva's desk.

I wasn't sure if he meant with their investigation or with me. I stared at Ziva anyway, daring her to rat on me about our fight earlier.

Ziva, however, knew exactly what Gibbs was asking about. "It went fine, nothing I couldn't handle."

"Uh huh," Gibbs commented skeptically, eying me. I could tell he really didn't believe her, but wasn't going to press the issue.

He moved over to where I was sitting and picked up my book. "Any good?" he asked.

"It's okay." I shrugged, hoping he'd leave it there. As usual, luck was not on my side.

"I wouldn't have picked this as your choice of reading material."

Again I shrugged. Just what was he expecting me to read?

"So what happened to the book I told Dorneget to buy for you?" Gibbs handed the book back to me.

I glanced over at Ziva and back at the book had laid on the desk. It was obvious he recognized it as one from the bookshelf behind his desk. I couldn't meet his eyes as I answered, "nothing."

"Ziva?" Gibbs asked as he turned to look at her.

"Director Vance has it."

"Which one of you wants to tell me why Vance has your book?" Gibbs demanded, his glare shifting between me and Ziva.

I just glared back, causing his gaze to harden.

"He overheard the disagreement we had over whether the book was appropriate for her to be reading," Ziva responded. She met the glare I gave her with one of her own. At Gibbs's raised eyebrow, she continued. "I didn't think she needed to read something that," she paused, "explicit."

Gibbs nodded and handed the book back to me. I squirmed a little in my seat at the look he gave me. My discomfort was made even worse when he said, "we will discuss this later."

"What did you find out at Quantico?" he asked as he turned back to Ziva and Tony.

Tony stood and came around to lean against the front of his desk. "Wilson's commanding officer told us Wilson was seeing a woman who was a dancer at Club Doom and that he had been moonlighting as a bouncer there for the last few months."

Ziva came around her desk and picked up the narration. "We talked to some of Wilson's co-workers. They confirmed what Warrant Officer Gopinathan told us. They also us that the woman's first name was Amanda. No one we spoke with knew her last name. One of them said that Wilson mentioned once that some guy at the club was giving her a hard time."

"We found an email at Wilson's apartment that contained threats to someone named Mandy. You think it could be the same person?" McGee asked as he looked up from his computer.

Gibbs glared at him for asking such an obvious question. "McGee, you find out who sent that email and whether or not it connects Darron Wade to our dead gunnery sergeant. Tony, you and Ziva go to Club Doom. Find out who Amanda is. We know that Wilson was moonlighting there, find out if Wade has any connection there as well."

"On it, Boss," Tony said as he grabbed his backpack and headed toward the elevator. Ziva followed closely on his heels.

"Can you find the owner of that email address here, or do you need to use the computers down in Abby's lab?" Gibbs asked as he turned back to McGee.

"I should be able to find it from here. Why?" McGee asked curiously.

Shit, I thought. I had a feeling I knew what Gibbs had planned.

"Good. Keep an eye on her," Gibbs said, nodding in my direction. "If you have to go down to Abby's lab, take her with you. I'll be in Vance's office."

Yep, I was right. My ass is gonna be toast. "You don't really need to talk to him, do you?"

"Is there something you don't want me to talk to him about?" he asked as he came to stand in front of me.

Why couldn't I keep my big mouth shut? "No, not really."

He only nodded and headed in the direction of the stairs.

XxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

Gibbs stepped into Vance's office without knocking.

Vance glared at him and continued his telephone conversation. Gibbs wandered over to study the photographs hanging on the wall. When Vance finished his conversation, he turned back.

"That door was closed for a reason, Gibbs."

"Lock it next time. Is there something I need to know?"

"Isn't that usually my line?" Vance asked as he leaned back in his chair. He wouldn't admit it, even if a gun was held to his head, but he enjoyed bantering with Gibbs. It kept him on his toes.

"We'll get to your information, but first I understand there was a problem with Tori."

"Nothing serious," Vance stated as he opened a desk drawer and pulled out a book. "Ziva seemed to think this inappropriate for Tori to read. Tori objected rather vehemently to Ziva taking it from her." He handed the book to Gibbs.

Gibbs shrugged. "What's so inappropriate about it?"

Vance grinned. He should have known that Gibbs wouldn't have heard the hype about this particular trilogy. He didn't know if Ziva's reaction was based on having read it or just on what everyone was saying about it, and he really hadn't wanted to ask. "It's supposed to be very erotic." Vance couldn't help but laugh at the look that crossed Gibbs's face. "Jackie read it and said it doesn't live up to the hype. I suppose it's up to you whether you want Tori to have it back." He returned to sit behind his desk. "Now, about this case?"

Gibbs tapped the book on his other hand. "We've identified Gunnery Sergeant Wilson's killer based on the composite Abby did from Tori's description, and we're trying to tie them together. Right now, it looks like the murder might have been over a woman who works as a dancer at a Goth club. My team's still checking that out."

Vance nodded, now came the tough question. "What are you planning on doing about the girl when this is over and she no longer requires protective custody?" He studied the subtle play of emotions that crossed Gibbs's face. Someone who didn't know the man as well as Vance did would have completely missed them.

"I don't know," Gibbs answered softly as he moved quickly to the door.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

As he made his way down the stairs from the upper level of the NCIS headquarters to the bullpen Gibbs caught McGee's attention and motioned him over so they met at the base of the stairs. "You okay with keeping an eye on Tori a little while longer?" he asked.

"Sure, Boss. Something come up?"

"I need to talk to Ducky about something. If you find anything, let me know. And, if you need to, take Tori down to Abby."

McGee nodded. "Okay. Boss, she's seventeen. She doesn't require constant supervision," he said, thinking of his younger sister.

Gibbs gave McGee a mildly exasperated look. "She's a seventeen year old girl with a history of running away. She's also a material witness in a murder investigation. We're keeping close tabs on her until we solve this case. You have a problem with that?"

"Um no, Boss."

Gibbs nodded and walked off in the direction of the stairs down to the autopsy level.

"Gibbs, I wasn't expecting to see you down here." Ducky stated as he tied off the last stitch on the body he had just finished autopsying. He cut the thread, and stripping off the rubber gloves and protective clothing, moved to the sink to wash his hands. "I'm not working on anything of yours at the moment, so to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Gibbs moved to study the corpse lying on the autopsy table. "Whose case?"

"Meet Lieutenant Commander Matthew Cantrell, who was a little too fond of his scotch and cigarettes. He died of a heart attack at approximately 2330 last night." Ducky pulled a white sheet over the Lieutenant Commander's face. He would wait until Gibbs left to transfer the body to its storage drawer, especially since he could tell his friend had something on hs mind.

"Jethro, I can know you well enough to tell when something is bothering you. May I assume it is something you'd like to speak with me about?"

Gibbs moved to leave against an empty autopsy table. "I'm not sure what to do about Tori, Duck. I promised her I'd help her find a home after this case is over." He shook his head, considering for a moment how much information he could divulge to his friend. "She's terrified of going back into the foster care system. After seeing her records, I can't blame her."

Ducky moved to lean on the table beside Gibbs. "Abuse?"

Gibbs nodded. "In at least two of the homes. Those were also the homes that reported her as being uncontrollable. There's speculation in her file that she ran from her last home because her foster father was sexually abusing her. He was charged with raping the girl who was placed in his home after Tori."

It was difficult, but Ducky managed to keep from expressing his feelings at that revelation. A glance at Gibbs's face told him the younger man was having the same thoughts.

"Well, I can't say I blame the child either." Ducky paused for a moment. "Do you have something in mind?"

"Yeah, before I approached Tori about it, I talked to an old marine buddy. Over the years, Jacob and his wife, Gabrielle, have adopted a number of troubled teens. The youngest just graduated from high school and is leaving home to attend the University of Virginia this fall. They're more than willing to take Tori in, and I know they'll give her a good home."

"But you don't know if that is the right choice." It was a statement rather than a question. Ducky knew the man standing next to him so well he could almost read his thoughts.

Gibbs shrugged. "I don't know. There's something about her that's gotten to me, Duck. She's got an attitude a mile wide, but I can see the vulnerability underneath." He gave a short laugh. "She reminds me of Ziva when she first joined NCIS."

Ducky nodded. He had a feeling he knew where this discussion was going. "You are thinking about taking her in yourself." He wondered if Gibbs was consciously aware of the thought that taking Tori in and giving her a home would give him a second chance at being a father.

Gibbs sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Yeah, Duck, I suppose I am. I just don't know if I should."

"Are you worried about what is right for her or for you?"

Gibbs studied Ducky's face for a moment. "For her. Hell, for both of us. I just want her to have the life she should have had to begin with. She should be able to finish school, have a boyfriend, and have people around her that care and support her."

Ducky moved to stand in front of Gibbs and rested a hand on his shoulder. "You can give her those things, never doubt it. My suggestion is to introduce her to Jacob and Gabrielle. Let her spend some time with them. Then, give her the option of living with them or staying with you."

Gibbs nodded. Why hadn't he thought of that, he wondered. Straightening, he slapped Ducky on the shoulder. "Thanks, Duck."

"Always glad to help," Ducky said to Gibbs's retreating back.

Moments later, Gibbs stepped into the lab. He paused briefly in surprise, not expecting to see McGee at the bank of computers. "Tell me something good, McGee," he demanded as he resumed his purposeful stride into the large room.

"What," McGee asked as his concentration was broken. Gibbs's glare was the only reminder he needed of his boss's question. "Oh, yeah. I identified the recipient of the e-mail we found as Amanda Rodriguez. I've got a search running on her right now. I'm still trying to identify the sender. The email address used was a disposable one. I'm still trying to trace it."

Gibbs nodded. He wasn't interested in the details, only the results. "Where are Abby and Tori?" he asked, looking around the room.

McGee looked around the room as though he was somewhat confused. "Oh, Abby said she was taking her to get something to drink." He glanced down at his watch. "They've been gone about ten minutes."

Gibbs turned on his heel and started toward the door. "Have Abby call me when they get back. You call me if you get anything."

XxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

"I don't know why I let you talk me into this," Abby muttered as we stepped into Capitol Hill Books, a used bookstore less than a mile away from the Navy Yard. "Gibbs will kill both of us if he finds out."

"Don't worry so much, Abby," I said, grinning at her. "He never said I couldn't leave the Navy Yard, and he did saw to stay with one of you guys at all times, didn't he?" She nodded, reluctantly. "So, technically, we haven't disobeyed any of his orders. What's the worst that can happen?" Little did I know what the answer to that question would really be.

I'd managed to talk her into bringing me to buy another book. I'd finished McGee's book, and I know better than to ask for my copy of _Fifty Shades of Grey _back. I was already growing bored with nothing else to do, and a bored me is never a good thing. When I complained to Abby, she offered to take me back to the newsstand to buy me another book. However, sign on the bookstore indicated that it had closed early due to a family emergency. After a little begging on my part, Abby got out her smart phone and searched for a nearby bookstore and found Capitol Hill Books. Given how close it was, I figured it wouldn't take twenty minutes to run over there and back, especially if Abby drove."

Knowing Abby was anxious to get back to NCIS, I rushed directly to the romance section of the bookstore. I spotted a couple of books by one of my favorite authors that I hadn't read yet. Grabbing them off the shelf, I moved to the counter and paid for them. Looking around for Abby, I spotted her by the entrance. She was rocking back and forth on her platform heels and wringing her hands. I don't think I'd ever seen anyone actually wring their hands before, and I nearly laughed.

She grabbed my arm as I approached and pulled me out the door onto the sidewalk. "Something bad's about to happen. I can feel it. We've gotta get back to NCIS." I let her pull me along in her wake until something caught the corner of my eye. I yanked my arm out of Abby's grasp and turned toward whatever had caught my attention.

"What the hell?" she demanded as she turned to look at me.

"There's something . . . ." I really couldn't voice what was bothering me. I turned in a circle, trying to figure out what it was that had caught my attention. "Oh shit," I said as I suddenly spotted the man standing in a parking lot at the other end of the block. Abby realized followed my line of vision and spotted him almost immediately.

"Is that?" she questioned as fear crept into her voice.

"Yeah."

"Come on, we have to get out of here and back to NCIS." Abby grabbed my arm again and took off running, dragging me behind her to her car. As soon as we were both locked inside her vehicle, she pulled out her phone with one hand and started the car with the other. She laid down skid marks as she sped out of the parking lot.

I can only assume she called Gibbs as it was his name she shouted into the phone moments later. "He's here, and I think he recognized Tori." I watched as she glanced into the rear view mirror. "He's following us."

I could hear Gibbs on the other end of the call, demanding to know where we were and who was following us.

"Darron Wade. He spotted us outside Capitol Hill Books."

Abby took a turn so quickly I thought the car was going to flip over. I was expecting to hear police sirens behind us at any second. And, to be honest, I was so scared I'm not sure I wouldn't have welcomed them.

The brakes squealed as Abby screeched to a halt at the security check point at the entrance to the Navy Yard. "We're entering the Navy Yard right now," Abby told Gibbs.

I watched as the security guard approached the car. He and Abby must have known each other as he gave a short wave as he approached the car. When he got there, Abby lowered the window and held out the cell phone to him. "Gibbs wants to talk to you."

It seemed like hours passed while the guard listened to whatever it was that Gibbs had to tell him. Finally, he handed the phone back to Abby. "Go straight to the parking lot behind NCIS. Gibbs will meet you there."

Abby and I exchanged a glance before she sighed heavy and nodded. "Thanks," she said as she accepted the phone back. The guard stepped back into his post and raised the gate barring the entrance into the Navy Yard.

"You think Gibbs is going to be pissed?" I asked as the car slowly moved forward.

"Yeah," Abby said, "he's gonna be pissed."

XxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

Gibbs paced the parking lot, anxious for Abby and Tori to arrive. The security guard had been instructed to detain all males who attempted to enter the base behind the two women and verify their identities. He was making his second circuit of the lot, thinking about what he was going to do to those two when his cell phone rang.

"Gibbs," he barked.

"Special Agent Gibbs, this is Petty Officer Morgan at the guard station to the entrance on M Street. Per your instructions, we have detained an individual named Darron Wade."

Gibbs gave a smile that would have turned Darron Wade's blood to ice. "Two of my agents will be there shortly to take him into custody. Good job, Petty Officer." He disconnected the call and quickly placed another to McGee. When the younger man answered Gibbs ordered, "Darron Wade is being detained at the guard post. Get another agent and go get him." He snapped his phone shut, disconnecting the call. Standing with his arms crossed across his chest and a glare on his face, he watched as Abby pulled her distinctive car into a parking space about twenty feet away. He waited impatiently for them to exit the car and come to stand in front of him.

"Get your asses down to the lab and wait for me," he ordered, not giving Abby and Tori a chance to explain. The warning that he'd better not have to come looking for them was unnecessary and remained unsaid. As he followed them into the building, the phone in his hand rang once again. Instead of flinging it into to the wall as he wanted, he answered it.

"Boss, Ziva and I are on our way back from Club Doom. We managed to get some pretty good information," Tony stated.

"You drive, I will talk." Gibbs heard Ziva state from a distance. He also heard Tony's pithy response.

"Hey," he said sharply to get his agents' attention. "One of you tell me what you found before I fire both of you." He was in no mood to deal with their bickering. It was like working with a couple of two year olds.

"Right, Boss." From the quality of the voice, Gibbs could tell that Tony had put his phone on speaker. "We talked to a number of the dancers and other employees at the club. Darron Wade worked there as a bartender until about a year ago, when he was fired," he continued.

"A woman by the name of Amanda Rodriquez also worked there as a dancer until about a week ago. She and Wade had been involved until shortly before he was fired," Ziva interrupted Tony's report. Gibbs could almost see the glare Tony would have given Ziva when she interrupted, and the smirk she would have him in response. "According to the dancer I spoke with, Amanda broke it off and Wade didn't take it well. He was fired for repeatedly harrassing her at work."

Tony picked up the narrative. "Wilson started working there as a bouncer about four months ago. Usually he worked the same hours as Amanda. The general consensus among the other dancers was that she was trading sex with Wilson for protection."

"Amanda has not been seen at the club for about a week," Ziva stated before Tony could continue. "The other dancers assumed that she took off to get away from Darron Wade. The day before she was last seen, he showed up at the club and threatened to kill her. The club manager told me that Wilson escorted Wade out the back of the club and they fought."

"The manager gave us a copy of the surveillance footage. The fight was pretty vicious, Boss, and Wilson left Wade lying in the alley in a pool of his own blood."

Gibbs listened to his team members' reports. "Get back to the Navy Yard. We've got Darron Wade in custody." He disconnected the call before either Tony or Ziva could demand additional information.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. Real life was crazy for a while. It didn't help matters that I had trouble writing the interrogation scene. I'm still not happy with it, but gave up trying to perfect it.

Warning: This chapter contains spankings. If this bothers you, please do not read it.

**CHAPTER 6**

Gibbs entered the interrogation room and closed the door. Slapping the file in his hand onto the table, he pointed at the chair facing the mirrored wall. "Sit down," he barked.

Darron Wade stopped pacing the small room and turned to study the other man. "Who the hell are you?"

"Special Agent Gibbs. I told you to sit down."

"What's this about?" Wade asked as he sat. "Is this about the gun I had in my car? I have a permit for it. How was I to know I was entering a military base?"

Gibbs grinned. This was going to be easier than he thought. "Yeah, that giant U.S. Navy sign at the entrance is really hard to spot. People miss it all the time." He paused a moment, enjoying watching Wade squirm. "You followed two young women to this military base. Why?"

Darron studied the man sitting across from him. What he saw sent a shiver down his spine. He wasn't sure what NCIS wanted with him. But whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Shrugging, he responded, "the little blonde was flirting with me. I thought maybe she was interested."

"Uh huh," Gibbs said skeptically. "You didn't recognize her from anywhere?" He really didn't expect Wade to answer that question with the truth.

"Nope," Wade grinned and leaned back in his chair. He crossed his arms over his chest and grinned. "Is she your daughter or something? Or maybe it's the Goth who was with her?"

Gibbs ignored the questions and pulled the file folder closer. Flipping it open, he pulled out a photograph of Amanda Rodriquez. Placing it face up on the table, he slid the glossy paper across its surface until it rested in front of Wade. "You recognize her?"

Wade shook his head. "No, should I?"

"That's funny," Gibbs said. "Because I have another photo you might like better." He slid another photograph across the table and waited until Wade picked it up. It was a still from security footage obtained from Club Doom. "You know, that looks an awfully like the same woman who was in the first photo. Pretty funny, you not recognizing her isn't it, especially since it sure like she knows you."

Meanwhile, inside the observation room, a fierce debate was raging. "You interrupt him," McGee said to Tony.

"You're the junior agent, Probie. You do it."

"For God's sake," Ziva muttered as she headed toward the door. "You are like a couple of children." Tony and McGee were still arguing over who would interrupt Gibbs's interrogation of Darron Wade when Ziva knocked on the interrogation room door.

At the sound of the knock, Gibbs grabbed the photo from where it lay on the table in front of Wade and, slapping the file shut, stood and stalked to the door. "This had better be important," he stated coldly as he followed Ziva out into the corridor.

"We have located Amanda Rodriquez. She's staying with relatives in West Virginia."

Gibbs nodded and turned to reenter the interrogation room. Before resuming his seat, he circled the room. Finally, turning his chair so that it's back rested against the table top, he straddled the seat. "You know, Darron, it turns out we don't need you to identify the woman in the photograph after all. We found her, safe and sound."

Several emotions crossed Darron Wade's face in the seconds it took for him to process that particular bit of information. Unfortunately for him, he spoke before his brain engaged. "Where?"

Gibbs laughed. The three agents in the observation room cringed at the sound. That particular laugh usually spelled doom for the other person in the room. "You don't honestly think I'm going to tell you that, do you?"

Gibbs paused, using one of his favorite interrogation techniques, silence, to put Wade on edge. After several tense moments, he continued. "We have evidence that proves you not only knew this woman," Gibbs stated, placing Amanda Rodriquez's photograph back on the table in front of the other man, "but that you harassed and stalked her."

He retrieved the photograph and put it back in the file. "Now, that doesn't concern me. I can keep that evidence to myself rather than turning it over to Metro Police. But you have to give me something in return."

Darron Wade shrugged. "If you could prove that, I'd already be in the custody of Metro Police. I'm not going to play your game. Unless you've got something else, I'm outta here." He stood, preparing to leave the room.

Gibbs rose as well. "Sit down," he ordered in his most commanding gunnery sergeant voice. "We aren't finished." He waited several seconds. When Wade didn't comply with the order, Gibbs quickly moved to his side. Grabbing the other man's arm, he forced him to resume his seat in the chair.

Reaching across the table, Gibbs pulled over the file and flipped it open. He pulled out another photograph and slapped it on the table in front of Darron. Leaning over Darron's shoulder Gibbs said, "I told you the woman wasn't my concern. This man is. His name was Gunnery Sergeant Nathan Wilson, United States Marine Corps. And you are going to tell me what you know about him."

In the observation room, Tony, McGee, and Ziva grinned. The show playing out in the interrogation room on the opposite side of the mirrored wall was about to get really good.

"Twenty bucks says Gibbs has this guy singing like a canary within five minutes," Tony stated, somewhat cockily.

"Why would Gibbs want him to sing? I thought the idea was to get him to confess?" Ziva asked. Her confusion was clearly evident in her voice and on her face.

Tony merely sighed at his partner's continued lack of knowledge of American slang.

"He means that Gibbs will have this guy willingly confessing to everything within five minutes," McGee explained. Turning to Tony, he continued. "No bet."

"Well, why didn't you say that in the first place," Ziva asked. "I will not accept your bet either."

They watched as Gibbs reached into the pocket of his jacket and withdrew a long, clear tube. Sealed in the tube was a large knife. All three grinned as they listened as Gibbs told Darron that the knife had been found in his car. Forensic testing matched its blade to the fatal stab wounds to Gunnery Sergeant Wilson's chest and found traces of the gunnery sergeant's blood under the hilt.

"I don't think Abby has ever run forensic tests that quickly," Tony commented.

"She was trying to get back on Gibbs's good side," McGee explained.

"What did she do?"

McGee told them what he knew about her and Tori's trip off the Navy Yard and how that trip had ultimately ended with Darron Wade being taken into custody.

"I can't believe Abby would be that stupid," Tony remarked.

"What did Gibbs do?" Ziva asked. She was almost afraid to hear the answer, and she definitely felt sorry for the two.

"Nothing yet," McGee stated. "They're confined to Abby's lab. Gibbs wanted to get the forensic results and Wade's confession first."

Inside the interrogation room, Darron Wade was beginning to sweat. "You said you could help me out with Metro Police?" Gibbs nodded. "Okay. Amanda left me. Nobody leaves me. I had to make her see that. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Hopefully, he thought, if he confessed to harrassment, Special Agent Gibbs would back off about Wilson.

Gibbs leaned back in his chair. Anyone who knew the older man would know that the seemingly relaxed posture was anything but. Suddenly, he sprang forward across the table, so that he was face to face with Darron. When Darron started to move away from Gibbs, he reached across the table and shoved him back into this chair. "Wilson got in your way. He kept you away from Amanda Rodriquez. Is that why you killed him?"

Gibbs's latest intimidation technique was too much for the other man. The sudden burst of aggression rattled him enough that he wasn't thinking clearly when he declared, "the bastard had it coming. Amanda was mine, and he knew it."

"Well, Gibbs's record stands," McGee said as they watched their boss pull Darron Wade to his feet and cuff his hands behind his back.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs summoned his senior field agent through the one-way mirror.

"Yeah, Boss," Tony asked as he hurried to met Gibbs in the corridor.

"Pass the information we have about this scumbag's harassment of Amanda Rodriquez on to Metro. Let them decide what they want to do with it. Give them her location in case they want to speak with her."

"That little blonde bitch," Darron Wade suddenly exclaimed as he began struggling against his restraints. "I knew she saw what happened. I should have killed her when I had the chance.

Gibbs swung him around and slammed, face-first into the wall. Leaning in close, he spoke in a low, threatening tone. "That blonde bitch is a seventeen year old girl, and she is under my protection. You're going away for a very long time, but don't even think about having one of your buddies take care of her for you. If any attempt is made against her, I will make sure you pay – no matter where you are."

When McGee stepped out into the corridor, Gibbs jerked Wade away from the wall. "Take him down to holding. MPs will be here shortly to get him."

"Where are you going, Boss?" McGee asked, concern for Abby uppermost in his thoughts.

"I have something I have to deal with," Gibbs stated as he started toward the nearest stairwell. "Everyone stay clear of Abby's lab for at least the next half-hour."

XxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

I sat in the office off Abby's lab trying to distract myself from what I knew was coming. I was attempting to read, but the book that I'd bought at the bookstore just served to remind me how badly I'd screwed up.

Giving it up for a lost cause, I tossed the book down on the desk. I moved to the office door and watched Abby for a few minutes. I couldn't tell if she was actually working on something, or, like me, she was just trying to distract herself.

You probably think, based on what you've seen of me so far, that this is out of character. Believe me, if it was just me, I'd be my usual smart ass self. But, the truth is, I'm really feeling guilty about getting my new friend in trouble.

"Abby?" I stepped into the lab. She glanced up and acknowledged my presence. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, Tori." She pulled a stool away from the counter and patted its padded top. "Have a seat."

After I sat down, I picked at a hang nail on my thumb for a minute or two as I tried to get up my courage. I really hated the fact that I've done nothing but cause problems for her, when she's been nothing but nice to me. Maybe I'm as completely worthless as one of my foster mothers kept telling me I was.

"What is you wanted to talk to me about?" Abby asked. I could tell she was curious. That was one of the things I'd noticed about her. She always seemed to be curious about something.

"I'm really sorry about getting you into trouble. I shouldn't have talked you into taking be to that bookstore."

She draped an arm around my shoulder and gave me a quick squeeze. "Oh, sweetie, you didn't get me into trouble. I got myself into trouble. I could have refused to take you off the Navy Yard. There are other newsstands here where you could have purchased a book, or there's the commissary. They sell books. What were the odds that Darron Wade would be in that parking lot at that exact same time?"

"Apparently, they're pretty good." We both jumped at the sound of Gibbs's voice. Turning toward the door, we watched as he stepped into the lab and locked the door. As her arm was still around my shoulders, I felt Abby stiffen.

He crooked his finger and headed toward the office, expecting us to immediately follow. Abby and I glanced at each other and quickly moved after him. When we got there, he pointed to two chairs he'd set in front of the desk. "Take a seat."

It didn't take long for Gibbs to start once we had. "You might be interested to know that Darron Wade essentially confessed to stalking a woman by the name of Amanda Rodriquez and to killing Gunnery Sergeant Nathan Wilson." He paused for effect. "He also recognized you, Tori. A gun was found in his vehicle when we searched it."

I could feel myself going pale when he said that. Yeah, I'm in some majorly deep shit.

"Do either of you have anything to say for yourselves?" The tone of Gibbs's voice didn't encourage comment, but Abby was looked so miserable when I glanced over at her that I couldn't keep quiet.

"Gibbs, it's all my fault. I talked her into taking me to the bookstore. I'm sorry. Please, don't punish her."

"Abigail?" Gibbs questioned.

She winced at the use of her full name. "No, Gibbs. It's not all her fault. I do appreciate you saying that, Tori. But, like I told you earlier, I made the decision to take you off the Navy Yard. I could have said no."

"You should have said no," Gibbs said shortly. He sighed and scrubbed a hand through his short hair. "Victoria, wait outside the office." He pointed to the glass wall that separated Abby's office from her lab. "Close the door, and stand with your back to the window."

XxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

Gibbs waited until Tori had followed his orders until he turned to Abby. He could see the tears already swimming in her eyes. "I'm disappointed in you, Abigail. I thought you were more responsible than to take Tori off the base while someone who could be hunting her was still out there."

"I know you don't like apologies, Gibbs, but I really am sorry. I should have known better. We got lucky that Darron decided to follow us rather than shoot first."

"You're damn right you are." He stood and moved to stand in front of her. "We have two choices here, Abbs. We can do this the official way or my way." Gibbs didn't have to clarify her options. This wasn't the first time they'd been in this position. The official way likely meant a suspension from work and a permanent mark on her record, if not the loss of her job. His way meant a very sore backside.

Abby had known from the moment he'd sent them to her lab that this was the choice he would require her to make. She really didn't want to be spanked, after all she was a little old for such a child's punishment. Not to mention, She knew from experience that it would be very unpleasant. But on the other hand, she didn't think she would be able to handle a suspension, and she loved NCIS too much to risk losing her job. Willingly taking a vacation away from her babies, as she thought of her lab equipment, was one thing. But being forced to stay away from them was another. She didn't know if she would be able to stand it. Plus, the Catholic school girl side of her hoped that the spanking would help her feel like she had atoned for her "sins."

Sighing heavily, Abby stood. She wanted to be face to face with Gibbs when she announced her decision. She hoped it would make her feel less like a little girl. "Your way," she said in a soft voice. She was just glad she'd chosen to wear pants that morning. She didn't want to contemplate how much more humiliating this would be if she'd been wearing one of her miniskirts.

Gibbs took the chair she vacated and easily pulled her face down across his lap. "Do I have to tell you why we're doing this?" he asked quietly.

"No, sir," Abby said, tears were already running down her cheeks. She tried to remain stoic, but she couldn't suppress a moan after the first hard slap from Gibbs's paddle-like hand. It wasn't long before it felt like Gibbs had started a fire on the seat of her pants, and despite her best intentions, she was pleading with him to stop.

Finally, it took several seconds for her to realize that she was no longer being spanked. She could feel the slight pressure of Gibbs's hand on the back of her thigh, though, and was afraid of what that meant.

"Abby, you know I hate having to do this," Gibbs said softly. "But you have to learn to think before you act."

"I will, Gibbs. I promise."

He barely understood her response because her voice was so filled with tears. Deciding she had learned her lesson, he helped Abby regain her feet and held her until he was sure she was steady. Standing, he pulled her into a hug. "I'm glad you're Tori's friend, but I have to know that I can trust you to be responsible whenever I leave her in your care."

Abby stepped back out of his embrace. She wiped the tears from her face before reaching back to rub at her burning backside. "You can, Gibbs. Believe me, I've learned my lesson."

Gibbs stepped forward and dropped a kiss onto Abby's forehead. "Good. I don't want to have to do that again. Go on," he said, gesturing toward the lab. "Send Tori in."

Abby nodded and started toward the door. She stopped and turned back to face Gibbs before opening it. "Don't be too hard on her, okay?" Before Gibbs could respond, she slipped out of the door to speak with Tori.

XxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

It seemed like Gibbs and Abby were in the office forever. The room was sound proof, and with my back to the window, I couldn't tell what was happening. That only caused my mind to run wild, especially with thoughts about want he was going to do when it was my turn.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when the door opened and Abby emerged. I couldn't help but notice that she was walking a bit stiffly as she wiped tears from her face. "Are you okay," I asked as I rushed forward and gave her a hug.

She hugged me back and nodded. "I'm fine. Just a little sore, like you'd expect." She gave me another quick squeeze and a smile of encouragement. "He's waiting for you."

When I walked into the office, Gibbs was leaning against the desk with his arms crossed over his chest. I swallowed hard as I approached him.

"Sit down," he nodded toward a chair. "You want to tell me what the hell you were thinking when you convinced Abby to take you off the Navy Yard?" he demanded as soon as I was seated.

"I was bored and wanted to get something to read," I said a little too snidely. I knew it was the wrong thing to say, but I couldn't help myself. You've probably figured it out by now, but sarcasm is one of my defense mechanisms, and it tends to show up at the worst times.

He uncrossed his arms and braced his hands on the side of the desk. "You had a chance to get a book, but you chose to waste the opportunity on something inappropriate."

Damn, I thought, Vance or Ziva must have told him. I shrugged. "So? I wanted something else."

"You'd best lose the attitude right now. It's only going to get you into more trouble. You knew Darron Wade was still out there somewhere, and that you were in danger until we caught him. That is one of the main reasons you are here. I can't protect you if you go running off at the drop of a hat. Not to mention, that Abby got in trouble because of you."

Gibbs straightened away from the desk and moved to stand in front of me. I stood to face him. He was just too intimidating standing over me that way.

"She has paid for her mistake, now it's your turn." He grasped me by the arm and pulled me over his lap as he sat in the chair I'd just vacated. "You have to learn to think before you act and accept the consequences for your actions." With that, his hand came down hard on my ass.

I admit it. I'm glad the room is sound proof, otherwise they would have heard me hollering all the way up in the squad room. I squirmed and wiggled, trying to keep my ass out of the firing line of his hand. It didn't do any good, as Gibbs just wrapped his free hand around my waist and held me in place as he continued to spank me. I heaved a huge sigh of relief when he finally stopped, but my relief was short lived.

"You do not put yourself or anyone else in danger. Is that understood?"

When I didn't answer, another hard slap fell. I yelped and quickly answered, "yes, sir."

Gibbs lifted me until I was standing. He held my arms and shifted me until I stood directly in front of him. "I hope you do. You pull another stunt like that again, I promise you, by the time I'm finished you won't sit down for a week."

"Yes, sir." I wiped the tears from my face and tried to resist the urge to rub my ass. I swear it burns worse than the last time he spanked me.

He stood and, like the last time, he pulled me into a hug. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I welcomed the comfort of his embrace. It's something that I could get used to – the hug, that is, not the spanking. That I don't ever want to experience again.

"Come on," Gibbs said as he stepped back from me. "Let's go. We have a few stops to make before we go home."

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat in the corner behind Gibbs's desk for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last two hours. Since my discussion with Gibbs down in Abby's lab, we've been in the bull pen. Gibbs and his team were tying off the loose ends and finishing up the paperwork from their case. I was trying to read, but I kept getting distracted by the throbbing in my ass.

I glanced over at Gibbs as he took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. He looked around the room at the members of his team. Each and every one of them had long since wilted. "Go home. Come back and finish this off in the morning." He reached to turn off his computer. "DiNozzo, if you need me tomorrow, you can reach me on my cell." I couldn't tell if the emotion that flashed across Tony's face was surprise or concern.

About half an hour later, I was surprised when Gibbs pulled into the parking lot of a department store. I had figured Gibbs had forgotten about his promise that morning to take me shopping to pick up a few things, especially since it was so late. However, the sign on the front of the store indicated it was open twenty-four hours a day.

"Would you consider waiting for me at the check-out area?" I asked Gibbs as we stepped through the entry into the large store.

"Not a chance. Let's go."

Damn. I should have known that would have been too good to be true. Without saying anything further, I walked off toward the junior's clothing department. I picked out several pairs of shorts and blue jeans and shirts. At Gibbs's direction, I also picked out some dressier clothes. So far, he hadn't objected to anything I selected, and I have to say, I was a bit surprised. I'd expected him to buy me only a couple changes of clothes, not enough for two weeks.

"Gibbs," I turned to him. "Please, would you wait for me at the registers?" I needed to pick out panties and bras, and I really didn't want to do it with him standing at my shoulder.

To my horror, Gibbs merely shook his head. "You haven't proven to me that you can be trusted, so you're stuck with me."

Sighing, I headed into the lingerie section. All I can say is that I hope he was as embarrassed as I was.

When I was finished, I spotted the dressing room. Deciding I wanted to try on my new clothes to make sure they all fit, I began pushing the shopping cart in that direction. It was unattended and, since I was the only person who appeared to be shopping for clothing, chances were I'd have it to myself. "You going to go in there, too, or can I have some privacy?"

The look Gibbs gave me clearly told me I was pushing my luck. "Nope, I'll wait for you out here." He looked at the pile of clothing in my arms and at the "limit 5 items" sign on the wall beside the doorway. Shrugging, he gestured me forward. "You've got ten minutes."

I knew better than to push him any further, so I hurried into the dressing room and slipped into the first cubical. After piling my clothing on the bench seat, I toed off my shoes and shucked out of my jeans. I couldn't resist the urge and, lowering my panties, I turned my back to the mirror. Although my ass was no longer throbbing, it was still such a bright red that it would have put Rudolph's nose to shame. Remembering Gibbs's time limit, I quickly tried on the clothes and exited the dressing room.

I nearly swallowed my tongue at the total bill when we finally checked out. In addition to the clothes, I got some makeup, hair stuff, and other necessities. Gibbs didn't even blink an eye as he pulled out his credit card to pay the bill.

XxxxxxX XxxxxxX XxxxxxX

The next morning I sat down at the breakfast table about 8:00. I was surprised Gibbs hadn't awakened me earlier. I was doubly surprised to see him wearing a ratty NIS t-shirt and blue jeans – not what I'd consider work attire for him.

"Aren't you going to work today?" I asked as he placed two plates of eggs and toast on the table and sat across from me.

"Nope, I took the day off," he said as he took a sip of his coffee. "There're some things we need to discuss."

Suddenly, my breakfast was less than appetizing. I put my fork on my plate and pushed it several inches away. Gibbs gave me a hard look, but I merely shook my head. I was suddenly nauseous, and I doubted that anything I ate now would stay down. I'd known all along that this was coming, but I really didn't expect it so soon, especially since he bought all that stuff for me last night. Maybe I should have expected it since he'd bought all that stuff. "I'll go pack my things," I said as I started to rise.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded as he sat back in his chair.

"You're sending me away now that the case is over. That's what you want to talk to me about, isn't it?"

Gibbs rubbed his hands over his face and through his close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair. "I'm not sending you away. I promised you that once the case was over I'd help you find someplace safe to live. That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

I relaxed slightly and nodded my head, indicating that I wanted him to continue.

He pushed his own plate full of uneaten food away and leaned forward to rest his arms on the table. His hands were wrapped around his coffee cup. I nearly laughed at the thought that he looked like he was using that cup as a life line. I didn't, though; as I was afraid once I started I'd never stop.

"Tori, I have some friends by the name of Jacob and Gabrielle Young. They're good people. Jacob is an old buddy of mine from the Marines. He's a mechanic now. Gabrielle is a librarian. Over the years, they've taken in a number of troubled kids and given them a loving home. Their last one is getting ready to leave for college." Gibbs paused and took a deep drink of his coffee. "I told them about your situation, and they're anxious to meet you."

My heart broke at his words. I had hoped that I would be able to stay with him. After all, this is the first place I've felt safe in a very long time. I nodded. "Okay."

My thoughts must have shown on my face, because he reached out and laid his hand over mine. "I really think you'd like Jacob and Gabrielle, and they would give you a good life." Gibbs paused. "There is another option."

I held my breath, waiting for him to continue.

"You could stay here with me."

I couldn't help myself. I jumped out of my chair and threw myself into his arms. "Yes, yes, yes. Thank you, Gibbs. I promise you won't be sorry."

Gibbs returned Tori's hug. Unbeknownst to her, he blinked tears from his eyes at her reaction. After several moments, he patted her back and gently pushed her out of his embrace. "Come on, let's eat some breakfast. We've got a full day of work ahead of us getting the spare room ready for you."

THE END

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is so short. Once I got this part down, I couldn't think of anything to add that wouldn't affect its emotional impact.


End file.
